NCCAP Gerontology & Resident Needs Assessment 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which assessment domain is captured by the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI)?
- Cognitive function and orientation
- Frequency and type of agitated behaviors in dementia (Correct answer)
- Depression and mood symptoms
- Physical functional independence
Correct answer: Frequency and type of agitated behaviors in dementia
The CMAI assesses the frequency of agitated behaviors in persons with dementia, helping activity professionals identify triggers and evaluate programming effectiveness.
Question 2: When assessing a resident's leisure history, which method provides the MOST comprehensive and accurate information?
- Reviewing only the admission intake form
- Combining resident interview, family input, and review of prior records (Correct answer)
- Relying solely on the nursing assessment
- Observing the resident for one week without interaction
Correct answer: Combining resident interview, family input, and review of prior records
A triangulated approach combining resident interview, family input, and record review provides the most comprehensive leisure history, especially when cognition is impaired.
Question 3: The principle of 'normalization' in gerontological activity programming means:
- Standardizing all activities across resident populations
- Providing experiences and conditions of everyday life that maintain dignity and social roles (Correct answer)
- Returning residents to pre-morbid functional levels
- Normalizing behavioral symptoms through medication management
Correct answer: Providing experiences and conditions of everyday life that maintain dignity and social roles
Normalization means offering residents experiences consistent with ordinary life — typical routines, meaningful roles, and community connection — regardless of disability.
Question 4: A resident with Parkinson's disease is most likely to need activity modifications to address:
- Short-term memory impairment as the primary challenge
- Tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia affecting motor tasks (Correct answer)
- Severe hearing loss impacting group participation
- Depression as the only significant barrier to engagement
Correct answer: Tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia affecting motor tasks
Parkinson's disease primarily affects motor function through tremors, rigidity, and slowed movement, requiring activity adaptations to support continued participation.
Question 5: According to the NCCAP code of ethics, when an activity professional observes a colleague engaging in behavior that may constitute elder abuse, they are required to:
- Discuss the issue privately with the colleague first
- Report the suspected abuse through proper facility and regulatory channels (Correct answer)
- Document the observation but take no immediate action
- Consult with the resident's family before reporting
Correct answer: Report the suspected abuse through proper facility and regulatory channels
Mandatory reporting of suspected elder abuse through proper channels is an ethical and legal obligation that cannot be delayed or substituted with informal resolution.
Question 6: Which biological change associated with normal aging most directly affects a resident's ability to participate in outdoor walking programs?
- Decreased gastric acid production
- Reduced thermoregulatory capacity and increased heat/cold sensitivity (Correct answer)
- Decreased bone density without pain
- Reduced kidney filtration rate
Correct answer: Reduced thermoregulatory capacity and increased heat/cold sensitivity
Age-related decline in thermoregulation makes older adults more vulnerable to temperature extremes, directly affecting safe participation in outdoor activities.
Question 7: The '4Ms Framework' for age-friendly care includes Mobility, Medication, Mentation, and:
- Motivation
- Meaning (Correct answer)
- Memory
- Mindfulness
Correct answer: Meaning
The 4Ms Framework — What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility — centers care on the resident's own goals and preferences as the fourth M.
NCCAP Gerontology & Resident Needs Assessment 5
Which assessment domain is captured by the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI)?